diff --git a/.github/workflows/test_and_deploy.yml b/.github/workflows/test_and_deploy.yml
index 26c5c9f3..8ba141dc 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test_and_deploy.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test_and_deploy.yml
@@ -22,8 +22,14 @@ jobs:
     steps:
       - uses: neuroinformatics-unit/actions/lint@v2
 
+  manifest:
+    name: Check Manifest
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - uses: neuroinformatics-unit/actions/check_manifest@v2
+
   test:
-    needs: [linting]
+    needs: [linting, manifest]
     name: ${{ matrix.os }} py${{ matrix.python-version }}
     runs-on: ${{ matrix.os }}
     strategy:
diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 18169a56..509fb15e 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -9,9 +9,9 @@ __pycache__
 .ipynb_checkpoints
 .pytest_cache/*
 .pytest_cache/
-__pycache__/*
+__pycache__/**
 __pycache__/
-*/__pycache__
+**/__pycache__
 brainrender/atlas_specific/gene_expression/__pycache__
 brainrender/atlas_specific/gene_expression/__pycache__/*
 brainrender/atlas_specific/__pycache__
diff --git a/MANIFEST.in b/MANIFEST.in
index 40cd0f87..78b4df9e 100644
--- a/MANIFEST.in
+++ b/MANIFEST.in
@@ -1,6 +1,12 @@
+exclude .pre-commit-config.yaml
+
 global-include *.svg
 
-recursive-exclude tests *
-recursive-exclude examples *
-recursive-exclude imgs *
-recursive-exclude videos *
+prune tests
+prune examples
+prune imgs
+prune videos
+
+graft brainrender
+
+global-exclude */__pycache__/*
diff --git a/brainrender/atlas_specific/__pycache__/__init__.cpython-37.pyc b/brainrender/atlas_specific/__pycache__/__init__.cpython-37.pyc
deleted file mode 100644
index 28abdb7e..00000000
Binary files a/brainrender/atlas_specific/__pycache__/__init__.cpython-37.pyc and /dev/null differ
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 614e4b53..39e657ec 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ include-package-data = true
 
 [tool.setuptools.packages.find]
 include = ["brainrender*"]
-exclude = ["tests", "docs*"]
+exclude = ["tests*", "docs*", "examples*", "imgs*"]
 
 
 [tool.pytest.ini_options]